Hello dear forum,
This year we bought a house from the 1970s and are now undergoing a complete renovation. As a fairly skilled DIY enthusiast, I’m doing some of the work myself, for example, laying tiles in the basement.
Since the house and the renovation are already quite expensive, we want to avoid spending too much on tile materials for the basement. Nice 30x60 or 60x60 cm (12x24 or 24x24 inches) porcelain tiles with rectified/calibrated edges are available in clearance sales for under €20 per square meter (around $20 per square yard), while 30x30 or 45x45 cm (12x12 or 18x18 inches) tiles are only available at regular, much higher prices. I’m leaning towards the 60x60 cm (24x24 inches) tiles but I’m still unsure because of the larger format.
Who else here is an ambitious DIYer and has laid 60x60 cm (24x24 inches) tiles themselves?
Years ago, I installed 30x60 cm (12x24 inches) tiles in a brick bond pattern but struggled a lot with leveling and avoiding lippage. Even if I were to lay the 30x60 cm (12x24 inches) tiles now in a third-bond pattern, would 60x60 cm (24x24 inches) tiles with straight grout lines probably be easier and faster?
The basement rooms are roughly square, so square tiles would also visually fit better (although it’s just a utility basement, so appearance isn’t very important). The basement currently has untreated screed of an unknown type, meaning it’s not smoothed or covered with leveling compound. There are no local uneven areas, but I can’t rule out imperceptible waves or height differences that aren’t visible to the eye.
This year we bought a house from the 1970s and are now undergoing a complete renovation. As a fairly skilled DIY enthusiast, I’m doing some of the work myself, for example, laying tiles in the basement.
Since the house and the renovation are already quite expensive, we want to avoid spending too much on tile materials for the basement. Nice 30x60 or 60x60 cm (12x24 or 24x24 inches) porcelain tiles with rectified/calibrated edges are available in clearance sales for under €20 per square meter (around $20 per square yard), while 30x30 or 45x45 cm (12x12 or 18x18 inches) tiles are only available at regular, much higher prices. I’m leaning towards the 60x60 cm (24x24 inches) tiles but I’m still unsure because of the larger format.
Who else here is an ambitious DIYer and has laid 60x60 cm (24x24 inches) tiles themselves?
Years ago, I installed 30x60 cm (12x24 inches) tiles in a brick bond pattern but struggled a lot with leveling and avoiding lippage. Even if I were to lay the 30x60 cm (12x24 inches) tiles now in a third-bond pattern, would 60x60 cm (24x24 inches) tiles with straight grout lines probably be easier and faster?
The basement rooms are roughly square, so square tiles would also visually fit better (although it’s just a utility basement, so appearance isn’t very important). The basement currently has untreated screed of an unknown type, meaning it’s not smoothed or covered with leveling compound. There are no local uneven areas, but I can’t rule out imperceptible waves or height differences that aren’t visible to the eye.
R
Renovator12317 Jul 2024 22:09If I find any good 30x30 porcelain tiles for under €20/m² (about $22/yd²), I will definitely go for them! So far, I haven’t found any, but there are several options available in 30x60 or 60x60 sizes.
As I mentioned, I have already installed 30x60 tiles in a running bond pattern, and I think it turned out quite well. The big question now is whether laying 30x60 tiles in a third-bond pattern or 60x60 tiles in a grid pattern is easier. This is assuming that the screed is most likely not perfectly level.
As I mentioned, I have already installed 30x60 tiles in a running bond pattern, and I think it turned out quite well. The big question now is whether laying 30x60 tiles in a third-bond pattern or 60x60 tiles in a grid pattern is easier. This is assuming that the screed is most likely not perfectly level.